Improvement in safety-latches for bracelets



GEORGE H. souuz.

improvement in Safety Latches for Bracel ets.

NO. 125,495. Patented April9 1872.

AM. FIIDTU-UTHUGRAPH/Z tl)v NYIUSEDITNEIP P5005525? Latch or Lock for Bracelets and other articles invention consists in combining with the claspters of reference wherever they occur referring thrown back or up, and depression of the claspmanner. These hoops are made hollow, but

and have clasps secured to their lockingrends,

metal, D, to which a spring, E, is secured.

by folding down the tongue of metal, or by of this spring is to lock the parts A and B to- UNITED SrA'rEs ATENT FFIC E.

GEORGE H. swim, or JERSEY our, NEW JERSEY.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 125,495, dated April 9, 1872.

SPECIFICATION.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. SoULE, of Jersey 'Oity,State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and Improved Safetyof jewelry; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full description of the same.

The object of my invent-ion is to prevent the accidental unlocking of the clasps for securing bracelets and other articles of jewelry on the person of the wearer. And the nature of my spring a latch, whereby the spring of the clasp is depressed when the latch is thrown up or back to allow the bracelet to be opened, but prevented from being depressed by any external pressure when the latch is shut down, thereby affording the most ample and perfect security against the accidental detachment of the bracelet from the person of the wearer. But to describe my invention more particularly I will refer to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, the same letto like parts.

Figure l is an edge or side view of the bracelet. Fig. 2 is a cut section of the same through the line a: m, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a detached view of the clasp end of the bracelet, showing the latch spring. Fig. 5 is a detached view of the claspend of the bracelet, showing a modified application of the safety-catch. Fig. 6 is the same, showing the safety-catch thrown back.

Letters A and B represent the hoop of meta1 forming the'bracelet, made in two halves, and joined together by a hinge, O, in the usual may be made of solidmetal or other material,

when desired, by any of the usual means for such purposes. To the upper end of the part of the hoop B is solidly attached a tongue of In ordinary practice this spring is formed out of a section of the tongue 1), but may be made soldering or riveting it thereon. The object gether by inserting it into the end of A, when the edge of the expanded end of the springlocks into a recess, as shown at F, Fig. 2, and thus prevents the separation of the two parts A and B until the spring is depressed again. In the ordinary clasps this is efl'ected by means of a depresser, forming a prolongation of the central part of the spring, and exposed upon the surface of the bracelet in such a wayas to be readily touched by the thumb and fingers of the wearer, or pressed upon by contact with the dress or other external object, and thereby is readily unlocked and lost 01f the wrist, if not otherwise secured thereon. In my invention the spring has no elongated thumbpiece for unlocking it. To unlock it, a latchlever, G, is secured between cheek-pieces H to the locking-end of the partB byacenter-pin, J, in such a position and of such a shape as to be easily operated and at the same time. preserve the harmonyof the ornamentation of the bracelet. By this arrangement of the latchlever it will be seen that when shut down, as shown in Fig.2, its plano-surface admits of the full expansion of the spring to enter the recess F to lock the two parts of the bracelet together. As the cheek-pieces H, into which it is secured, are of the same curvature as the convex side of the latch, it will readily be perceived that no external force can depress the spring, except by elevating the latch, as shown in Fig. 4, when the projecting toe of the latchlever accomplishes that object. For the purpose of facilitating the raising of the latchlever a very slight extension is given to its plano face beyond the outline of the cheekpieces, so as to permit the finger-nails to engage thereunder to lift it.

It will be obvious that the object of my inven= tion is to prevent the possibility of disengagin g the bracelet frointhe arm by pressure or by rubbing against any external object. It will also be obvious that when the clasp is once lifting-end of theilatch to unlock the clasp.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the latch is shown of a hook-shape, K, secured between cheek-pieces L, attached to the end of the spring. In this modified form of my invention the spring is prevented from being depressed by the shoulder m on the hook K resting upon the stop at on the surface of the bracelet, as shown in Fig. 5. By this means the spring cannot be depressed unless the hook is elevated, as shown in Fig. 6, when, by pressing upon the cheekpieces L, the clasp will be unlocked.

Having now described my invention, I will set forth What I claim and desire to seoure by Letters Patent of the United States.

I claim, the method of preventing the unlocking of braoelet-clasps by means of the latch lever G, in combination with the cheek-pieces H and spring E, arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described, 7

XVitnesses: GEORGE H. SOULE,

CHARLES L. BARRITT, H. GARDINER. 

